TORNADO GOES BLUE FROM NOVEMBER
Published at 21:38 on Wednesday 26th September 2012
Tags: A1, Tornado, 60163, Main Line, A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, A1SLT
A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has announced that No. 60163 Tornado is to be repainted from its current Brunswick Green livery into Express Passenger Blue with the early BR Crest on the tender.
The repaint will be carried out at Southall by the same team of Ian and Dan Matthews who applied the current and original liveries, and will be undertaken during the first part of the locomotive's winter maintenance in October/November this year, when it would have been due a repaint anyway. The original Peppercorn class A1s carried four liveries during their short service lives (Apple Green with ‘British Railways on the tender, Express Passenger Blue with the BR Crest on the tender and Brunswick Green with both Crest and later BR Emblem on the tender).
Speaking at the annual convention of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, Mark Allatt, chairman, said: “We have long promised that Tornado will carry all four historic liveries during her first period of operation. Tornado will therefore carry Express Passenger Blue with the BR Crest on the tender following her winter maintenance at Southall depot. This will be for a limited period only as the Tornado ‘brand’ is very much as an Apple Green locomotive and this will remain her ‘core’ livery.”
The Trust has also confirmed that £150,000 has been ring-fenced towards the repayment of the £500,000 bearer bond, which is due before the end of 2016 - the last remaining debt associated with the construction of the locomotive. The Trust are looking to promote three tours with the locomotive in 2013, from King's Cross to Edinburgh on 8th June 2013, from Sheffield to Carlisle, via the S&C, on 25th September 2013, and a circular from Newcastle via Carlisle and Edinburgh, on a date to be announced.
Elsewhere, background work is progressing on the Gresley class P2 feasibility study with the first phase of modelling work completed, and a significant part of the next phase underway. This work will provide the data and information to allow a decision to be taken on whether it is a viable project.
